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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · jam · file · cap · craft · bear · lash · bound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. craft — boats
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bound — certain
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. file — a tool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cap — a hat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com